St. Ives Apricot Face Scrub Lawsuit

The company is expected to face off in court. (Sorry, we had to.)

As far as drugstore classics go, the St. Ives Apricot Scrub has topped the list as long as we can remember. The budget exfoliant has earned many fans — both on the red carpet and IRL — for its ability to keep complexions clear. Even supermodel Gigi Hadid previously told Teen Vogue it was one of her favorite products. “That’s probably my most consistent product,” she said. “I just use St. Ives Apricot Scrub to wash my face.”

Now, the iconic tube is facing a lawsuit for over $5 million. Two women filed the suit against Unilever (St. Ives’ parent company), arguing that the product’s “dermatologist tested” claim is misleading — and that the scrub is irritating. They believe that since the product isn’t actually recommended by dermatologists, billing it as “dermatologist tested” causes consumers mistakenly believe that it also comes with a derm recommendation.

Physical exfoliants like this one have become a topic of debate in recent years, with some experts preferring the gentler approach chemical peels provide. The concern is that the particles in face scrubs can cause irritation if applied incorrectly, or too frequently.

Dermatologist and founder of Lancer Skincare Dr. Harold Lancernotes that “regular physical exfoliation helps encourage cellular turnover, which helps reduce the appearance of unevenness or dark marks.” To avoid damaging your complexion, he recommends the following: “Always apply scrubs on warm, damp skin, and lightly work the product in using circular motions.”

The jury’s out on whether this St. Ives scrub is actually dangerous, but there’s no need to toss yours just yet. While products made with nut shells or particles (like this one) are the most frequent culprit for leaving micro-cuts and tears in the skin when applied too aggressively, you can always try using them as body (or foot!) scrubs instead if you’re worried about aggravating sensitive skin. When it comes to facing the facts, we happen to know for sure that few things work better than Apricot Scrub for smoothing over calluses!

Updated Dec. 29, 6:10 PM: We reached out to Unilever, and received the following statement from a spokesperson. We'll continue to update this story as more information comes in.

"As a general practice we do not comment on pending litigation. We can say that for over 30 years, consumers have loved and trusted the St. Ives brand to refresh and revitalize their skin. We are proud to be America’s top facial scrub brand and stand by our dermatologist tested formula.”